Thursday, September 3, 2015

It's unlikely I would have read Winston Graham's
"Poldark" without having seen the series opener on Masterpiece
Theater this year (admittedly, having the handsome Aidan Turner in the title
role helps draw viewers). I purchased the first book, in what I've happily
noted is a long series, and read it insatiably in early August. Then I read the
second, "Demelza." The third, "Jeremy" sits on my shelves
while I consider whether to read it ahead of season two.

Will I go the distance, reading all 12 books? I doubt it. Rarely
do I plunge into a series, given that I read for this column and a blog, author
profiles, my book club, my own

choices and books about the writing craft. I
don't have the kind of time I did when I devoured Nancy Drew, as a kid left to
her own resources. I've never taken the time to re-read "Gone With the
Wind" or the Tolkien trilogy, though I want to. I've read the first
"Outlander," the first Evanovich, Ken Follett's "The Pillars of
the Earth," but not "World Without End." Etcetera.

In fiction reading, I tend to return more often to a
specific author, rather than a series. Ivan Doig, Annie Proulx, Louise Erdrich,
T.C. Boyle, Colum McCann, Chris Bohjalian, Kate Atkisson, Kristin Hannah, and
many of the classics. People do love series, however, and readers often remain
absorbed in a favorite author from book one onward. That's what passionate reading
is all about. There's also a huge following for historical non-fiction series writers:
Bernard Cornwell, Phillippa Gregory, the late Leon Uris, Ken Follett.

"Masterpiece Theater" prodded me to read Henning
Mankell's series of Wallander books, one or two Sherlock Holmes mysteries, and
now, "Poldark." The entire series is slated for BBC, six seasons in
all. It was first popularized in an earlier version, around 1975-76.

"Poldark" is a rich narrative, full of the wild
sea and constant winds in Cornwall, draped around the class advantages of the
rich amid the everyday difficulties of impoverished lives in 18th century
England. Poldark, despite a privileged background, champions the common man. But
he has his flaws. I'm absorbed in the love, the greed, the cruelty and the rich
characterization it offers. Graham isn't around today to enjoy a second draught
of fame, but the stories remain classic for this age as well.

Many of these books make excellent book group fodder, though
tackling a series is impossible. Best you can do is focus on one or two of the
best ones, hoping members will pursue the others on their own.

Area authors

R.A. Salvatore, a
Leominster-based fantasy writer whose best-sellers include many series, "The
Dark Elf Trilogy" and "The Demon Wars Saga" among them, will be
guest author at the 7:30 p.m. Sept. 9 "A Conversation with R.A.
Salvatore," at the Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, Connecticut.
Tickets are $25, available from the museum.

Salvatore has written more than 40 books, selling more than
10 million copies in a dozen languages. During 2012, he received the prestigious
Chandler Award of Merit from Thayer Memorial Library in Lancaster.

Worcester resident
and artist Karla Cinquanta, marketing and creative content manager at Bancroft
School, recently received an Indie Book Award of 2015 for "The Tiny
Portrait," a story and picture book for children or adults. Indies
recognize the best books from self-published authors an small publishers. The
book has also received a Mom's Choice 2015 Gold Award. Cinquanta's story
centers on two siblings who discover a tintype portrait of an unknown ancestor
in a family heirloom trunk and embark on an adventure as they seek her
identity. The children also explore their own connection to the past by
creating a family tree. Cinquant's photo illustrations make the book unique. It
is available through Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.

Joseph W. Bebo of
Hudson has applied a master's in computer science from Boston University to his
latest techno-thriller, "Lamp of the Gods." This self-published work
follows a journalist's search for missing astrophysicist Benjamin
Teller—pursued by the FBI, police, the White House and those greedy to profit
from Dr. Teller's time-exploration discovery. Bebo has written a number of
sci-fi novels and two fictionalized histories, "The Charbonneau
Letter" and "Of Lake, Land and Liberty: The Battle of Plattsburgh in
the War of 1812." The books are available through Amazon, Barnes &
Noble.

Organizing your
"reads"

Anna Ford, a young book club member in Philadelphia, has
created a free book club organizing site—dreamed up with her boyfriend when she
wanted to keep better track of selections, member information and popular
books. You can also send invites and gather RSVP responses there. She invites
book club members to check it out at https://www.bookclubz.com. I did, and
thought it interesting to see what other clubs have most liked lately
("The Goldfinch," "Just Kids," "Madame Bovary,"
"The Magic of Ordinary Days" and "We Are All Completely Beside
Ourselves.")

Book group selections

Friday Morning Book Club in Northborough, meets Sept. 11, to
discuss "Andersonville," the Pulitzer Prize-winning story of the
Civil War prison. The group meets at 10 a.m. in the library.

Food is the topic at Worcester Public Library's September
meeting, says Morgan Manzella, reference librarian. She encourages participants
to bring in a favorite recipe as the group discusses local harvests. Call the
library for times, or email mmanzella@worcpublib.org.

"We decided to take on another of Sue Monk Kidd’s
novels for our September book," says Joan Killough-Miller of the NOW
Women's Issues Book group, Worcester. "Most of us liked 'The Secret Life
of Bees' very much. Perhaps Kidd is a better novelist than she is memoirist. So
the book for Sept. 14 will be 'The Invention of Wings,' a novel set in slavery
times, inspired in part by the historic figure of Sarah Grimké." This
group meets at 7 p.m. in Barnes & Noble, 541 Lincoln St., Worcester.

Full Court Press of Sutton is reading "The Beast in the
Garden" by David Baron. Selections are chosen by the month, and recently
included: "All the Light We Cannot See;" "The Girl on the
Train" and "Orphan Train."

The next meeting of the Douglas Library Book Group will
consider "Isaac's Storm" by Eric Larson. The group meets at 6:30 p.m.,
Sept. 8, marking the 115th anniversary of a hurricane that killed
over 6,000 people in Galveston, Texas.

Brown Bag Book Group is reading Ayaan Hirsi Ali's
"Infidel" for its Sept. 3 meeting, and "The Girls of Atomic
City" by Denise Kiernan for its Oct. 1 meeting. Contact Leominster Public
Library for times.

The book club at Fitchburg Public Library meets at 1:30 and
6:30 p.m. for each selection. Next meetings are Sept. 9 and the book is
"Signora da Vinci" by Robin Maxwell.

Merrick Public Library's Bannister Book Group, Brookfield,
will meet Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. to discuss Cathy Luchetti's "Women of the
West," a myth-shattering look at the women who really settled the West,
told through their own words and illustrated with period photographs.

The Southbridge book group meets the first Monday of the
month at Jacob Edwards Library. Next selection is Maya Angelou's "I Know
Why the Caged Bird Sings" and the meeting is at 6:30 p.m., Sept. 14.

At Thayer Memorial Library in Lancaster, the Adult Book
Group has chosen "Enon" by Paul Harding, slated for 6:30 p.m., Sept.
29. All readers welcome. To reserve a copy, call the library.

The Contemporary Book Club at Gale Free Library in Holden
meets at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 8, to discuss "A Tale for the Time
Being" by Ruth Ozeki. Books are available through the library. Coming up
in October: "Black River" by S.M. Hulse.

The Pearle L. Crawford Memorial Library Book Group will meet
at 6 p.m., Thursday (Sept. 3) to discuss "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of
Harold Fry" by Rachel Joyce. Library Director Karen Wall says the group
explores a variety of genres in fiction and nonfiction throughout the year,
normally meeting the first Thursday of the month. The Oct. 1 selection is Erik
Larson's history, "Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania."

Ann Connery Frantz
writes about books and book clubs at www.readitandreeap.blogspot.com (sorry for
the two e's). Send news or comments to ann.frantz@gmail.com